MSA and therefore crossed of a few locations from my list that have significant sprawl, but would still meet the 500,000 person requirement if the full statistical area was includedMy result: 8 citiesSan Antonio, TexasFort Worth, TexasLas Vegas, NevadaCharlotte, North CarolinaPhoenix, ArizonaHouston, TexasJacksonville, FloridaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaStep 7: Going back to the generic beginner advice of investing close to home, I prioritized the East Coast cities that remained on my listMy results: 3 citiesPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaJacksonville, FloridaCharlotte, North CarolinaStep 8: Leveraging the following two resources from a friend, I was able to cross Jacksonville off my list due to greatest distance from NYC of the three and highest risk of natural disaster, a combination that I did not want to deal withhttp://money.cnn.com/interactive/pf/real-estate/natural-disaster-risk-map/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/05/01/weekinreview/01safe.html?

@Adam Baker @Brad LarsenI'm no mathematician but if the top 6 management companies have 1700 properties combined (per Brad's post), and maybe there are another 1700 out there with other companies or independent, and an average vacancy of 10 percent, that would mean that at any time you could easily find 340 properties advertised for rent in a perfectly healthy rental market. 

If you want to do some independent research you could start by doing this:1.

My ultimate goal coming here is to build an asset column that makes my family and I financially independent.

My ultimate goal is to become financially independent and own my own real estate company.

My disposition is to invest for passive income, but am open to other options. it seems like achieving financial independence through rental properties seems like a good start.

I want financial independence and the ability to be with the people I love the most and pursue the things that invigorate and excite me.

A “Maintenance & Service Request” form is available for Tenant use.Landlord may contract with independent contractors or other service companies to perform services at the property.Landlord will not pay for services requested directly by Tenant to service providers. 

I try to stay well rounded in my path towards financial independence, not just RE.

I realize this is fairly long, so thanks for your reading.I have been needing to buy a property for a long time as a first step for total financial independance using Real Estate investment the best possible vehicle.However, I have been renting all along, so I figured I needed to buy a house for my family first before engaging further.A few months ago, I have found this beautiful property at Malden, MA in a gorgeous location near the subway train.